The Friday Five - May 25, 2017

Five things to take into your weekend....

1.  Quote I'm Mulling Over - “A daily routine built on good habits and disciplines separates the most successful among us from everyone else. A routine is exceptionally powerful.” 
― Darren Hardy, The Compound Effect

2.  Book I am reading - The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.  You often hear advice around thinking BIG.  And, there is validity in that statement in certain circumstances.  But, the things we do daily are little things.  I wrote about that before in the post Little Things Do Matter.  Little things done over and over again, whether positive or negative, add up.  Darren Hardy shows you how those little things compounded over time become the big things.

Well written in almost a conversational tone anyone can relate to. Darren Hardy is personable, compassionate, and challenging in his writing style, compelling the reader to go a few extra steps!

3.  Song of the Week - Little by Little by Robert Plant. It's an old song showcasing the point that little things add up.

4.  Video of the Week -  Small Things Can Make a Difference.  A heartwarming and very touching video of how one person doing small little things can make such a big difference in people's lives.

5.  Health & Fitness Tip of the Week - It's the Little Things - If you’re frustrated because you’re not seeing the results that you want to see on the scale, even while working out regularly, maybe you should consider some of the “little things” that can certainly add up to be “big things”!

Have a great weekend!!

And, please share! 

I Am A Movie Screen

You are the movie.

Your movie projects onto my screen. I watch it. I might laugh, I might cry. I may grimace.

What do I think of it? Do I want to keep watching? Do I have to? Do I want to?

Good questions.

Some people, some movies are dramas that not only am I not interested in, I don't have the time for. They become an emotional suckfest leaving you without energy or motivation.

Some movies are horror shows. Lives that have taken some bad turns whether by accident or by bad decision. It's usually the latter.

Some are sad documentaries. Again, maybe an accident, maybe some bad decisions. Who knows?

What if I don't want to watch that movie?

Change it.

It is just that simple. Don't like the movie, change it.

Don't want see the drama that features some spoiled queenie that behaves like a entitled, self-centered bitch where every minute of film feels like slow death. You know the person that can't possibly see enough of themselves. Every event in their life is a tragedy beyond human endurance and they need to tell you every painful detail.

Change it.

Not interested in the horror flick that shows how one person can somehow, almost impossibly, make one bad decision after another as if they had no control over their own lives. Everything they do is a controlled crash landing. They have the self-awareness of an earthworm and make you wonder if they will ever have a clue.

Change it.

You're the movie screen.  Not the movie.

Change the movie. Change it to something you like.

So, you like that comedy where the person makes you laugh and feel so good it almost feels as if time stops. The kind of person that makes you feel energized and forget that you even have any problems.  As least for a little while.

Watch it.

You like the movie where a person takes you on an adventure with intellectual twists and turns that leaves you with an "aha"feeling. Their story is so interesting that when it is over you want to watch it again. Right away.

Watch it.

You like the movie where the underdog overcomes impossible odds and inspires you to take on the world with your personal passion? The movie that makes you think, if they can do it, so can I?

Watch it. 

Again and again.

You choose the movies you watch. Choose movies that make you laugh, learn and feel inspired. Don't watch the movies that drain the life out of you and leave you haggard.

But, always remember....you are a movie too.

Are you worth watching??

The Friday Five - May 19, 2017

Five things to take into your weekend....

1.  Quote I'm Mulling Over - "There's an inherent reward in letting go." – Judson Brewer

2.  Book I am reading - The Craving Mind - From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love – Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits by Judson Brewer. We are all vulnerable to addiction. Whether it’s a compulsion to constantly check social media, binge eating, smoking, excessive drinking, or any other behaviors, we may find ourselves uncontrollably repeating. Why are bad habits so hard to overcome? Is there a key to conquering the cravings we know are unhealthy for us? You will be very surprised by the things you learn in this book.

3.  Song of the Week - Constant Craving by k.d. lang. Great song by a great artist that addresses the greatest craving in us all.

4.  Video of the Week -  How to Eliminate Cravings by Elliot Hulse.  The founder of Strength Camp has some knowledge and solutions to deal with those cravings for food. We all have them. Here's how to deal with them.

5.  Health & Fitness Tip of the Week - 10 Ways To Control Cravings - You can lose weight by overcoming your cravings now. Here are the latest tricks of the trade from researchers and experts.

Have a great weekend!!

And, please share! 

Cancer Sucks!

We all know someone or know someone who knows someone.  The phrase is all too familiar.  And, it will remain that way until we do something about it.

Here's your chance...

My father-in-law was recently diagnosed with Melanoma.  This is a skin cancer but it can have devastating effects.  In my father-in-law's case it ended up being a brain tumor which was successfully removed by the very talented staff at Mass General.

As happy as our family was that he has received the treatment he needed. It would be better for all of us if we just didn't have to deal with it at all. Here's how we do it.

Money. Yeah, that stuff.  

Money funds research to find a cure. Money funds research for better treatments. Money funds education of all of us.

My wife will run 26.2 miles in the New York City Marathon to support the cause.  Please support her with any donation you can afford. 

Every little bit helps.  

Every little bit is appreciated.

Go here:

https://www.crowdrise.com/melanomaeducationfoundationnyc2017/fundraiser/colleenclare-coen

The Friday Five - Cinco de Mayo 2017

Five things to take into your weekend....

1.  Quote I'm Mulling Over - “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.”― Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point. 

2.  Book I am reading - The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. This is the third book I've read by Malcolm Gladwell who is arguably the most spellbinding nonfiction writer I have ever read. He’s a master of suspense, to the point that his books read like mystery novels. Even though his subject matter is rooted in social sciences he brings characters to life. He also has the ability to present sticky concepts simply and elegantly, like thin slicing, the 10,000 hour rule of expertise, and the magic number of 150 for social groups.

Intellectual and sometimes a bit geeky, his insights open your eyes in a way that allows you to see something you couldn't see before even though it was right in front of your eyes.

3.  Song of the Week - The Tipping Point by Skrizzly Adams. The fun part of the Friday Five is finding some music to go with the week's subject. And, I usually find something pretty good.  Skrizzly's song The Tipping Point is a catchy country tune that is worth a listen. 

4.  Video of the Week -  Malcolm Gladwell's Top Ten Rules for Success - this is from a video series from Evan Carmichael who features a Top Ten Rules for Success Series.  You can check out Evan here.

5.  Health & Fitness Tip of the Week - Is there a Tipping Point in exercise?  According to Elliott White of true fitness & nutrition there is. Follow this link to learn how you can use the tipping point for your fitness success.

Have a great weekend!!

And, please share! 

My Recommended Reading List

Getting the info you need to reach your potential is essential.  You never know where the next great idea, source of inspiration or helpful technique will come from.  Reading is one way to find these things.

These days with books, blogs, podcasts and the internet there is no shortage of information.  You can pretty much find some information about everything.  But, there is a lot of it.

There is so much information that it becomes impossible to get to it all.  It becomes even more difficult to identify what is worth your time.

I have assembled a list of the books that I have found to be very helpful to me.  You will probably find many of the books on other people's lists. 

Some may even be on your own.  See the Must Reads Page.

One piece of advice that I found to be very useful when reading these books is that you take what makes sense to you.  Some of what you read will not make sense to you. Don't use that info.  But, if something does resonate with you. Gives you that sense of "aha." Then use that.

Or, at a minimum, try it.

Just try it.  This is another piece of advice I picked up.  You don't really know how well some thing may work if you don't at least give it try.  So, just try it.  If it doesn't work for you after an honest try.  Then move on to something else.

In all honesty, I don't read all the books.  I do listen to them all. And, I re-listen to them.  If there is a book that I feel was really good, then I buy the printed copy, study it, summarize it and put it into action.  But, at the very least, I will listen to it.  You can cover a lot more ground this way.

Must Reads Page

Last item, if you listen to or read a book, plan to go back to it again. Especially if you thought it was helpful.  There are books that I have gone back to after years and heard something that I didn't hear the first time.  Sometimes you have to grow a little to understand what was being said.

And, finally, if you have a recommendation.  Please, let me know. You can email me or leave a comment.

Must Reads Page

The Friday Five - April 28, 2017

Five things to take into your weekend....

1.  Quote I'm Mulling Over - “Whatever your income, always live below your means.” ― Thomas J. Stanley, The Millionaire Next Door. This is the most basic and simple concept to getting rich. But, for some reason, most people just don't get it.

2.  Book I am reading - The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley. "Why aren't I as wealthy as I should be?" Many people ask this question of themselves all the time. Often they are hard-working, well educated middle- to high-income people. Why, then, are so few affluent? For nearly two decades the answer has been found in The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy. Wealth in America is more often the result of hard work, diligent savings, and living below your means than it is about inheritance, advanced degrees, and even intelligence. The Millionaire Next Door identifies seven common traits that show up again and again among those who have accumulated wealth. How many of those traits do you have?

3.  Song of the Week - Millionaire by Dr. Hook. This song is pretty cool.  Totally Dr. Hook.  He takes something that could be taken too serious and turns it into something fun and entertaining.

4.  Video of the Week - Homeless to Millionaire. Examples of people, many who you already know, that started with nothing and achieved great wealth. Most did it with persistence and hard work.

5.  Health & Fitness Tip of the Week - How important is your health and fitness in your life?  How often do the wealth workout?  The answer is here.

Have a great weekend!!

And, please share!